Deborah's POV
The tension inside the car was unbearable, suffocating in the oppressive silence.
No one spoke. The only sounds were the steady hum of the wheels on the frozen road and the faint hiss of warm air escaping the car heater. My eyes darted repeatedly to the window, but I wasn't seeing anything outside. My thoughts were tangled in an unrelenting loop of worry.
Matthew.
Where could he be?
Was he alright?
Would the bitter cold of Ablach harm him?
The questions hammered at my mind, relentless and unyielding, making it impossible for me to think of anything else. My hands, clenched tightly in my lap, were trembling slightly, but not from the cold.
And then I saw him.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a tall figure standing by the side of the road. He wore nothing but a thin shirt, his posture rigid against the biting wind. In Ablach's harsh winter, his presence was glaringly out of place yet unmistakably familiar.
It was Matthew.
My breath hitched, and without thinking, I bolted upright in my seat. "Stop the car! Stop! Now!" My voice cracked under the weight of urgency, rising in pitch.
Chad reacted immediately. With a sharp turn of the wheel, he steered the car to the side of the road. The tires screeched against the icy pavement, and the vehicle slid slightly before coming to a halt.
But I couldn't wait. The moment the car slowed enough, I flung the door open and leapt out, ignoring the startled looks from the others.
The icy wind struck me like a physical blow, but I didn't care. I was already running, my boots slipping slightly on the slick surface beneath me. My heart pounded with desperation and something else—something raw and undefinable I couldn't suppress.
It had been nearly a year since I'd last seen him.
For countless nights, his face had haunted my dreams. His golden eyes, familiar smile, and the warmth of his presence—those memories had been both a source of comfort and torment. They reminded me of what I'd lost, of what I had forced myself to leave behind.
I'd told myself I could move on. I'd convinced myself that it was the right thing to do, that I couldn't let myself get pulled back into the chaos that surrounded him.
But seeing him now, all of that resolve crumbled into dust.
"Matthew!" I called out, my voice trembling as I sprinted toward him. Every step seemed to close the impossible distance between us.
He heard me.
At first, he didn't react. He stood there, frozen, as if unsure whether what he was seeing was real. Then, slowly, he turned his head, his golden eyes locking onto mine.
His expression shifted from shock to something else—something brighter, warmer.
"Deborah," he murmured, his lips barely moving.
And then he moved, his strides long and determined, until we were face-to-face.
He reached out and pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against him. His embrace was everything I remembered and more—strong, grounding, and impossibly warm.
Despite the thin shirt he wore, his body radiated heat, like a furnace against the freezing air. I sank into him, letting his warmth envelop me. For a fleeting moment, it felt like I had been transported back to a safer, simpler time, when the world wasn't so fractured and uncertain.
"Matthew," I whispered, my voice muffled against his chest. I could feel the rapid thrum of his heartbeat beneath my cheek, steady and strong.
"Deb…" His voice trembled slightly, and I could hear the weight of emotions he wasn't saying. "I thought I'd lost you. I thought I'd never see you again."
His words hit me like a tidal wave, and for a moment, I couldn't speak. I could only hold him tighter, as if letting go would shatter this fragile reunion.
Eventually, I pulled back just enough to look up at him. His face was so familiar, yet the lines of worry and exhaustion were new. My hand instinctively reached up to brush against his cheek.
"Come on," I said softly. "It's too cold out here. Let's get back in the car."
He hesitated for the briefest of moments, his gaze searching mine as if to confirm that I was really here. Then he nodded, a small smile flickering across his lips. He reached for my hand, and I led him back to the car.
The moment we stepped in, the atmosphere inside shifted drastically.
Matthew followed me without question, trusting me entirely. But as the door shut behind us, sealing us in with the others, the silence became almost unbearable.
Matthew and I sat side by side in the backseat, our shoulders barely brushing. Barron sat next to us, his body language stiff, his expression unreadable. In the front, Chad's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror, observing us briefly before focusing on the road again.
Barron broke the silence first, his tone awkward as he leaned forward slightly. "So… Deb, this is your ex-boyfriend?"
Matthew's head snapped toward him, and I felt his posture tense beside me. His golden eyes narrowed dangerously, and his voice dropped to a low growl. "Call her Deborah. 'Deb' isn't for you to use."
The weight of his words hung in the air like a warning. Barron blinked, visibly startled by the force of Matthew's reaction. He opened his mouth to respond but seemed to think better of it, leaning back instead.
Matthew turned his attention to me next. His expression softened, but his gaze was sharp, probing. "Deb," he said quietly, his voice laced with both hurt and frustration, "is that really how you introduced me? Your ex-boyfriend?"
I looked away, unable to meet his eyes. My hands twisted together in my lap, and the guilt pressed down on me like a physical weight.
"I told you," he continued, his voice firm but not harsh. "I don't agree to this. You can't just decide something like that on your own. As far as I'm concerned, we're still together."
His declaration hung in the air, cutting through the awkward silence like a knife.